Question: Are the rumors true about Once Upon a Time introducing Tinker Bell? —BonnieAusiello: I’ll answer that question by describing to you the new character of Violet and letting you draw your own conclusions. How about that? Vi is a mischievous twentysomething whose penchant for troublemaking belies the heart of a true survivor. (Interesting side note, especially for Hook if she is Tinkerbell: She never lets a slight go unpunished!)

Once Upon a Time likes to pair characters up with their One True Loves, but Regina already lost hers back in the Fairytale Land That Was. (And no, Graham doesn’t count!)

In the first two seasons, Regina has been too busy protecting her son Henry and/or destroying the lives of the Charmings to look for romance, but it looks like her situation might change in Once Upon a Time season 3.

Showrunner and creator Adam Horowitz reveals to TV Line that, “We may find out that perhaps, just perhaps, there is a special someone out there for Regina.”

In season 2, she finally let go of Daniel, her original love, who was brought back to life as a Frankenstein’s monster-type creature in the Dr. Whale-centric episode “The Doctor.”

So who will Regina’s new love interest be?

While fans of the show might immediately jump to characters we already know, like Emma or Captain Hook, Horowitz’ comment suggests that the character is someone we haven’t met yet, or at least that they aren’t currently with her.

The Once Upon a Time season 2 finale left Regina sailing to Neverland with Hook, Gold and the Charmings. In season 3, they will attempt to rescue Henry from the shadowy Peter Pan-like creature which is holding him captive.

Could Regina’s romance perhaps be waiting for her in Neverland? Will it be her fellow villain (and hopefully aged-up) Peter Pan… or perhaps Once Upon a Time‘s version of Rufio, who is currently being cast?

This would be a good question to ask the cast and crew at next week’s San Diego Comic-Con panel, which takes place Saturday, July 20 in Ballroom 20, starting at 11 a.m.!

Lana Parrilla won’t be appearing, but both Horowitz and co-creator Ed Kitsis will be there, along with cast members Ginnifer Goodwin (Snow), Jennifer Morrison (Emma), Robert Carlyle (Gold), Josh Dallas (David), Emilie de Ravin (Belle), Colin O’Donoghue (Hook), and Michael Raymond James (Neal).

Once Upon a Time‘s third season premieres this fall, airing Sundays at 8/7c on ABC.

Who should be Regina’s ‘special someone’ in ‘Once Upon a Time’ season 3?

Exclusive: Once Upon a Time Welcomes Back Giancarlo Esposito — But as Which Character?Giancarlo Esposito will set down Revolution baddie Tom Neville’s sword long enough to pay a return visit to Once Upon a Time this fall, TVLine has learned.Esposito will appear in one of Season 3′s first episodes, though mum’s the word on which of his alter egos he will be playing — Storybrooke newspaper man Sidney Glass, the Evil Queen’s royally smitten Magic Mirror, or even the Genie of Agrabah.Esposito recurred during Once‘s freshman season, upon completing his heralded run on Breaking Bad. When last seen, Sidney had been imprisoned by Regina, having botched the framing of Snow White for Kathryn’s “murder.”The actor currently stars on NBC’s Revolution, and twice this past TV season guested on Communit

Once Upon a Time fans might be chomping at the bit for the Season 3 premiere at the end of September and we’ve got some information about the future of one of the hit show’s stars!

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Quirk that will release later this month, David Anders, the man behind the charming-yet-slightly-tragic Dr. Whale/Victor Frankenstein, revealed that he will be returning to Storybrooke in Season 3. Sadly, we won’t see the doctor in the first episode, but Anders’ “I will be back!” is enough to get us excited for his eventual return.

The last time we saw Dr. Whale, he was on the wrong side of one Mr. Gold a la power trip. But before that, he was having an existential crisis over the fact that he wanted his name (Frankenstein, that is) to be associated with life, not monsters. However, Ruby talked him down from the edge and convinced him that the curse had given them all a second chance to do something good with their lives, at which point Whale returned to the hospital and performed a life-saving surgery on an outsider to Storybrooke.

It also seemed like sparks might begin to fly between Ruby and Dr. Whale at the end of last season, but with Meghan Ory’s Intelligence pilot being picked up by CBS, it’s unclear whether or not Ruby will be returning to the show. As Storybrooke’s favorite wretch, he’ll most likely find another lovely lady to woo, but little else can be speculated about what could happen with Dr. Whale in Season 3 with so many of the show’s characters split between different worlds.

Either way, we can’t wait to see what Storybrooke has in store for the town doctor.

For the full interview with Anders, check back with The Daily Quirk on July 22!

Once Upon a Time has tapped up-and-comer Robbie Kay — aka the titular star of the internationally produced 2008 TV-miniseries Pinocchio — to join the Season 3 cast as a member of the infamous Lost Boys, TVLine has learned exclusively.

Kay, who will appear on a recurring basis, is the first of Peter Pan’s Neverland minions to be cast for the new season. The show is currently searching for an actor to play the group’s mischievous, occasionally twisted leader, Rufio.In addition to Pinocchio, which earned Kay a 2009 Young Artist Award nomination, the young actor’s credits include Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and the upcoming indie Ways to Live Forever.

The ABC fantasy hit series is finally tackling The Little Mermaid's heroine, revealing that she will be making her debut in season three at the show's 2013 Comic-Con panel on Saturday.

While the actor who will be playing Ariel has yet to be cast, a sneak peek at season three featured the famous mermaid sneaking up on a dwarf and stealing his fork before heading back into the ocean. Oh, and we also got a quick glance at her fin! But she isnt the only new character fans will be seeing come Sept. 29!

READ: OUAT producers tease the epic adventure coming up in season three!

Also set to be introduced in season three? One very famous fairy: Tinkerbell! "It's taking the icon and putting our spin on it," co-creator Adam Horowitz teased during the panel. "How we introduce her and who she is [will] hopefully be surprising. We're going to find that she has a surprising connection to someone at this table."

Kitsis and Horowitz also teased the highly anticipated debut of new big bad Peter Pan, saying, with Horowitz spilling, "Peter Pan has a complicated motivation. It's a little different than you've seen before." Co-creator Eddy Kitsis chimed in, "He might be frightening. To some people."

VIDEO: Watch the trailer for Veronica Mars now!

Back in June, we chatted with Horowitz and Kitsis about the new big bad and though they wouldn't divulge much, Horowitz teased the backstory between Pan and Rumpel (Robert Carlyle). "When someone as scary and menacing as Rumpel is telling you that someone is to be feared, you better listen," he said, adding that the backstory between the two characters will be a "slow reveal, but one that will come within those first 11 episodes."

Rose McIver has been tapped to take on the role of Disney's classic fairy who's normally an ally of Peter Pan, TVGuide.com has confirmed.

McIver, whose credits include The Lovely Bones, Legend of the Seeker and the upcoming Showtime drama Masters of Sex, will appear in multiple episodes in Season 3, as first reported by Entertainment Weekly. The third season will head to Neverland as the Charmings and their new allies try to rescue Henry (Jared Gilmore), who was kidnapped by Greg (Ethan Embry) and Tamara (Sonequa Martin-Green) for Peter Pan, who will be much darker in the ABC fairy tale drama.

Once Upon a Time heads to Neverland, welcomes Peter Pan, Tinker Bell and Ariel!

"It's taking the icon and putting our spin on it," executive producer Adam Horowitz said of Tinker Bell at Comic-Con. "How we introduce her, and who she is, is hopefully going to be surprising because we're going to find she has a surprising connection to someone [on the Comic-Con panel]." The panel included Ginnifer Goodwin, Lana Parrilla, Jennifer Morrison, Michael Raymond-James, Joshua Dallas, Emilie de Ravin, Robert Carlyle and Colin O'Donoghue, who would seem to be the likely candidate. However, producers stressed it would be a surprising connection.

Fans may fight over whether Emma belongs with Captain Hook or Neal on Once Upon a Time, but in real life Michael Raymond-James and Colin O’Donoghue are buds. When Wetpaint Entertainment caught up with stars at San Diego Comic-Con 2013, they opened up about Neal and Hook's father-son dynamic, what to expect from Season 3, and how they go about playing their parts when they don't know what's coming next.

Wetpaint Entertainment: Colin will Hook be taking the lead to find Henry in Neverland since you’ve had lots of experience in the there?

Colin O'Donoghue: Well we’re all there together but I think Rumplestiltskin has his own sort of, you know what I mean, he’s been there as well, as we found out in the finale episode. So it will be interesting to see, we’ve only just done the first week so I’m not exactly sure what’s going to happen yet, but it will be interesting. I’ll obviously know the lay of the land having been there hundreds of years so I don’t really know yet!

Where do Neal and Emma stand? He can’t be gone for good.Michael Raymond-James: Well, where we left it was that we just were about to say some of the unsaid things we’ve been carrying around with us like a cross on our backs. You know at that moment where you think, oh it’s too late. Where it goes from there, it’s really — this show in particular is difficult to discuss in normal terms, but now the fact that we really don’t know where it’s going at this point makes it way more difficult. We’re sort of finding out as the audience does.Colin: Pretty much, but it makes it interesting when you don’t really know what’s going to happen and then you get the script and you go Oh my God, really?

Is it difficult to portray a character when you don’t know their arc?

Michael: Well, yeah. The thing is we’ve lived in these characters, Colin and I, for year, so the character aspect is sort of dialed in and now just the direction of where they take the action. They’re really great about, Adam and Eddie are, about opening up lines of communication. Like, is this working for you? Last season I knew my entire arc because I had a beginning, middle, and end. This season we just sort of hit the ground and started running, and, you know, we’ll fill you in later type of thing.

Colin: But the filling in hasn’t happened yet so….

Will you be passing down your fatherly advice?

Colin: It’s sort of weird because I think Hook was genuinely willing to give up anything for this child because he represented the love of his life. He was willing to be a father and I think that’s still relevant.

Michael: One of the interesting things your character said last year was when you spoke about Rumple’s quest to try and find Baelfire you said maybe he doesn’t want to be found because, you knew. That’s sort of step-fatherly!

Colin: It kind of is, yeah.

Will Neal be out for revenge for Tamara and Greg?

Michael: The forefront of Neal’s mind at this point is the love of his life and his son. That’s the most important thing, once I can make sure they’re safe… I don’t think Neal has, he’s seen what revenge has done to people, you know what I mean? He takes a different approach to it. He’s not one that’s going to seek out and physically harm anybody. Obviously the marriage is off! The wedding is off!

Catch the Once Upon a Time Season 3 premiere on September 29, 2013 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

On Emma taking the lead: "Emma definitely is put in a position where she has no choice. She's definitely not someone who is comfortable with the idea of "the savior" and I don't think she ever will be, but she is a survivor, and so she will do whatever it takes to survive."

On romance with Neal and Hook: "I do know that it definitely makes it complicated that at this point Emma thinks Neal is probably dead. It's not like she's sure he's alive and hoping to find him. She thinks he's probably dead which definitely impacts the way she lives the rest of her life. I don't think romance is on her mind at all because she's concerned about getting to Henry, but I do think she has a kindred spirit with Hook and is definitely connected to him in certain ways, and they have a lot in common. ...I don't know what will happen when Neal comes back. She was able to say 'I love you' but in only the most dire of circumstances."

On Peter Pan: "I know she interacts with him. I think we're all going to be involved in Peter Pan's world now that we're in Neverland. He is the ruler of Neverland, he's the all-powerful in that land. ...No one expects Peter Pan to be a villain, and so for them to flip that around and say, this character that we've always thought was a warm and fuzzy character, to see the darker side of all that and also the darker side of Neverland..."

On what season 3 means for the future: "I think it's going to be an exciting season because I think this particular land and the rules of this land they've established open up new possibilities for all of us and sort of force all of us to deal with ourselves and that means that there's a tremendous amount of depth to the relationships going on. ...We're forced to deal with our pasts and we're forced to deal with what's inside of ourselves in this land."